


The Taste Of You

by VintageJacqui



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-02
Updated: 2013-08-02
Packaged: 2017-12-22 05:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/909588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VintageJacqui/pseuds/VintageJacqui
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chocolate/coffee shop fic - a romantic encounter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Taste Of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alejis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alejis/gifts).



> Happy birthday Ale! xoxo <3

“Guhhh,” Agron drawls. There’s drool on his cheek and on his pillow and his mouth tastes like ass, although he’s damn sure he hadn’t been with anyone last night. Never again was he going out drinking with Gannicus. Never. Well okay, his birthday is next weekend and some drinks may be needed then, but after that, no way José. Never again.

Crawling out of bed Agron shed his boxers and pads bare foot and bare ass into the bathroom to take a piss and perhaps drown himself in the sink. His head feels like it’s been split in two and it’s only through sheer force of will that he is keeping from throwing up.

“Fucking Gannicus,” he grouches and runs the tap, filling up the basin before dunking his face into the gloriously cool water. It helps a little and by the time he’s dried his face and neck he feels like he has woken up a bit more. Next, he brushes his teeth thoroughly. No more assmouth thank you very much.

Agron shuffles back into his bedroom and freezes when he sees the time, 11:34a.m, shit… did he have work today? Scrabbling for his phone he swipes his finger over the screen until he finds his day planner.

“Saturday, Saturday… ah, Saturday here we are.” The blank space was like a beautiful beacon to Agron’s eyes. No work till Monday. Life was sweet. Apart from the whole feeling like he’d been run over by a herd of elephants thing, but still, no work.

“Foooood,” Agron grumbles, his voice matching the hollow grumbling in his stomach. His body is woozy and only a sizable meal would fix it.

Walking slowly into the kitchen, still naked as the day he was born, he pulls open a few cupboards and groans. Sunday was grocery day and apart from some old looking packets of noodles and a box of gravy granules the cupboard, as it were, was bare.

“Shit.” He was going to have to go outside. “Fuck the gods.”

Outside meant fresh air, uh, and people, bleugh, and birds singing, meh and… oh gods there was his tummy rumbling again. Dragging his feet he moves at a snail’s pace to get some clothes, the baggiest joggers he can find, a t-shirt with a hole in the left side and a beanie to hide the mess that was masquerading as his hair. Just because he was being forced into the world didn’t mean he had to like it. He grabs his keys and wallet from the table and just hopes he survives the trip.

***

Fucking furious was too nice a feeling in Agron’s opinion, but he couldn’t think of how else to describe his rage… ooh rage, yes rage was a good word.

His coffee shop was gone. His _favourite_ coffee shop was gone. Where would he get his coffee from now? And those breakfast rolls that tasted soooo good and were a known hangover cure? This was bad, very, very bad.

“Excuse me, what happened to Lugo’s?” The man who Agron had unintentionally grabbed by the arm looks at him like he has lost his mind and then glances at the shop where Agron is loitering.

“The coffee shop?” The man snaps. Agron nods furiously until he remembers his head might not be screwed on quite right and stops, a throbbing pain mocking him behind the eyes. “I think they might have closed, mate.”

“So what the hell is this place?” Agron releases the man and choses to let his rude sarcasm go unpunished.

“Looks like a chocolate shop.”

Agron’s mouth drops open and the man edges away until he was at a safe distance and then crosses the street just in case.

“A chocolate shop?” Agron shakes his head again and winces. Who in their right mind would need a whole shop of chocolate? It was ridiculous. It was unnecessary. It was…

Okay fine he was going in.

A bell tinkles when he opens the door and Agron scowls. Inside, it’s all warm deep brown’s and leather stools against a small dark wood bar, floor to ceiling bookcases filled with cellophane packets of truffles and other stuff that Agron has no time for. Pretentious rubbish. He’s just going to sample the coffee, prove to… well himself, that it’s nowhere near as good as Lugo’s and then leave with the awesome satisfaction that he will never set foot in the place again.

He slouches over to the bar and sits down on a stool.

“Hey, what can I get for you? Let me guess, you’re a coffee man, huh? We have some great blends from Ecuador and Brazil, all traded with farmers who work with small businesses like this one, none of your mass produced crap here, I promise.”

“Um, I don’t care where it’s from as long as it’s black, no sugar.” Agron can’t lift his eyes from the counter his head hurts so bad. He’s distantly aware that he’s being an asshole, but he’s caffeine deprived and he doesn’t care.

“Okay, one large black coffee coming up. No sugar.” The guy behind the counter breezes away from being a shadow on Agron’s eyelids and he hears the grinding of beans, inhaling the earthy scent as his chirpy barista does his thing. “You should try some chocolate while you’re here. Dark, with a little chilli, should help clear your head. The chilli is sourced from Trinidad and is grown by a guy called Rex and he uses the money to pay for his two daughters to go to school. Isn’t that cool?”

A cup is pushed under Agron’s nose and he sighs as the aroma hits his nostrils like a tidal wave. It’s good stuff, he can tell. Even though he is being awkward with his barista, Agron actually knows quite a lot about good coffee, it’s what years of addiction will do to a man.

“Have a taste when it’s cooled a bit. I’ll just get some chocolate for you to try and don’t worry, I’m not being a pushy salesman or anything, they’re samples.”

The guy moves away again and Agron can feel the loss of his energy. He feels a strange pull in his gut, but puts it down to the fact that he’s still really fucking hungry. He doesn’t know why he’s even there. He wants breakfast, coffee too, but this place doesn’t look like it does bacon. It was stupid to come here in the first place. Agron slides his butt off the stool and takes a note out of his wallet, placing it on the counter. He’s just about to leave when he decides that he needs just a sip of coffee to get him to the next shop.

The taste explodes on his tongue, so rich and strong that he sits back down and has another sip. It burns his tongue a little, but it’s worth it for the feeling of it running down his throat.

“Good, huh? I knew you’d like that one. It’s Columbian, the darkest coffee we have and it’s my favourite. Do you like it?”

“It’s…” Agron lifts his eyes, thanks to the coffee he is able to, and locks eyes with a man who has no right looking so good, “yeah, it’s really hot; I mean… it tastes great.”

“I did tell you to let it cool, didn’t I?” Too hot to be fair, chuckles. “Here, have some of this chocolate first, its milk, 75% cocoa and no chilli so it won’t sting your tongue.”

“Huh?” Agron takes the small triangle of chocolate from the plate that is now sitting by his coffee cup and shoves it in his mouth.

“No! Spit it out,” the guy yells and Agron does, he spits the chocolate into the palm of his hand and glares into seething brown eyes. “Don’t just chomp on it like a cow. Nibble a corner and let it rest on your tongue.”

Agron nods, he feels like he should apologise, but he’s confused and slightly scared. He pushes the sticky triangle into his mouth, just the corner, and bites down. The small piece lands on the centre of his tongue and he waits for further instruction.

“Good, let it melt and then spread it around over your tongue using the roof of your mouth.”

Agron does as he’s told and coats the inside of his mouth with a layer of smooth, creamy chocolate. It’s weird, he’s eaten chocolate before, he loves it, it’s delicious, but he’s never really appreciated it before. The layer of melted chocolate is swallowed slowly and Agron closes his eyes. Wow.

“Tastes great, right? The cocoa bean is amazing. It’s proven to be good for you, full of antioxidants and flavonoids, like epicatechin, which could have beneficial cardiovascular effects on health.”

“I didn’t understand half of that, little man. Doesn’t it just make you fat?” Agron dares another bite of the chocolate, but repeats his strict instructions, relieved not to be yelled at again.

“What did you just call me?” The guy looks pissed and Agron sits up straighter, preparing to run away if necessary.

“Call you…? I don’t know your name. I didn’t call you anything.” Agron watches as he is observed. He feels like he’s in a pitre dish and the chocolate in his mouth is now stuck in his throat, making him cough and reach for his coffee. The guy, fuck Agron really wants to know his name now, blinks a few times and looks down sheepishly.

“Sorry, I’ve had people call me little man before and… I just didn’t know if you were making fun of me or not.” The guy looks up and smiles, white teeth an attractive contrast to his beautiful skin. He seems to have figured out that Agron wasn’t laughing at him, how - Agron has no idea, but he’s back to being cheerful so Agron is glad of it. “My name’s Nasir, what’s yours?”

“Agron,” Agron says. “I’m sorry if I said something to hur…”

“No, you didn’t,” Nasir says before Agron can finish the word ‘hurt’. It recoils on his tongue, crushed by Nasir’s smile. “You think you can handle some chilli now? I won’t tempt you with the wasabi just yet though, you still look half asleep.”

Agron smiles, his face burning when he realises just how awful he must look. He’s in a nice place, with a guy who looks like he could have stepped off the cover of a fancy magazine and he’s got a fucking hole in his t-shirt.

“I had a few drinks last night. I only meant to come out for some coffee and some breakfast… I never meant to come here.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you did. Try the chilli chocolate, it’s the dark one there, and I’ll be right back.” Nasir leaves again and Agron tracks him with his eyes. He’s got a graceful confidence, not quite a swagger, but almost. He’s sexy, stomach droppingly so, but he’s not an exhibitionist. Agron loses sight of him when he goes through to the back of the shop and he misses the odd conversation, the soothing sound of Nasir’s voice and the tantalising curve of his eyelashes. He misses the curious intensity of his gaze and the attention that had been so focused on him and him alone. Agron glances around the shop, it’s not empty, there’s a woman browsing near the back and a man in a suit on the phone and clutching a box shaped like a heart. There’s also a small till point with another member of staff manning it. They aren’t alone, not at all, so why does Agron _feel_ like they are?

“What did you think?” Nasir’s arrival back at the bar startles Agron and he quickly takes a bite of the dark triangle. He positions the little piece on his tongue and waits, feels it melting, the subtle heat growing more vivid, the chilli making itself known without overwhelming the senses or blocking out the sweet taste of the chocolate. Agron’s eyes close again and he swallows, wiping his lips with his fingertips.

“Amazing,” Agron says, meaning it too. He wants to try more, to hear Nasir describe the next delicacy, to keep him talking with the impressive passion that Agron never knew anyone could have about coffee grounds and cocoa beans.

“Yep, that one is going to be a best seller, I can tell.” Nasir sets another plate down on the counter and Agron’s eyes widen, saliva pooling in the shallow dip under his tongue. “It’s not a fried breakfast, but it might make you feel more human.”

A large chocolate cupcake, frosting like a mountain range, sits proudly on a dark blue saucer next to his nearly empty coffee cup.

“Shit, I’m actually really hungry, this is… thanks.” Agron tares the casing from around the cake and lifts it to his mouth. His eyes are desperate to seek out Nasir’s, to know what his face looks like. Was he amused, impassive… was he even watching? Agron sinks his teeth into the cake, moaning at the taste of sugary frosting and moist sponge, but keeps his eyes down.

“You’re welcome.” Nasir’s words are soft and Agron almost doesn’t catch them. “Um, you have frosting on your nose.”

Agron laughs and puts down the half eaten cupcake. He dares to sneak a glance at Nasir, his heart pumping faster when their eyes meet. So Nasir had been watching him.

“I’m a messy eater, what can I say?” Agron smiles, wiping the blob of chocolate off the end of his nose.

“Just shows you enjoy it. You should see me eat spaghetti.” Nasir shrugs and bites his bottom lip. Agron aches to know what that lip tastes like. He wonders if Nasir tastes like the shop smells, sweet and intoxicating, exotic and wild.

They sit in silence for a few seconds and even though they are staring at each other, it doesn’t feel awkward.  Agron doesn’t even hear the tinkle of the bell above the door or when a couple sit down on the stools next to him. Unfortunately though, Nasir does. He looks disappointed for a second, but then smiles, a small smile that seems to say ‘oh well, more customers to serve.’

Agron picks up his cup and drains the last of his coffee, listening to Nasir taking the orders of the two women next to Agron. His voice is still cheerful, but it’s more formal somehow, less blabbery and he isn’t telling them where the beans that will go into making their lattes originate from. He feels himself smile, hard enough for the dimples in his cheeks to deepen. The bell tinkles again and a group of students pile in.

“I’ll be right with you,” Nasir says happily and glances over at Agron.

“I’m taking up space,” Agron says casually, standing up and sliding the note that is still on the counter over to Nasir. It feels stupidly final, like Agron is dreaming and once he walks back out onto the street he won’t be able to turn around and go back, see that angelic face again.

“Wait, um… let me bag these up.” Nasir takes the plate with the triangles of chocolate on them and pulls a cellophane bag from under the counter, sliding the chocolates inside and handing the bag to Agron. “You should let me know what you think of them, maybe, if you want.”

Agron clutches the bag in one hand and picks up the last piece of his cupcake. This time when he pops the cake into his mouth he does not break eye contact with Nasir, nor does he miss the slightest flick of pink tongue swiping over Nasir’s lips. He chews quickly and swallows, patting his belly and flashing a grin at Nasir.

“I’m looking forward to the wasabi chocolate… you’d better have a good story about where you get it from too. You can tell me next time, yeah?”

Nasir grins, wide and bright, and everyone gathered around the bar turns to look at Agron. He doesn’t notice. He waves and strolls to the door, smiling at the tinkling of the bell and breathing in a good lungful of air. His head doesn’t hurt anymore and there is a spring in his step that feels so fucking fantastic that Agron wants to run home just to burn of some off the exhilaration fizzing under his skin.

Halfway home he opens the packet in his hands and takes out a triangle. He doesn’t know what flavour it is, it doesn’t matter. He bites a small corner and holds it on his tongue, feeling it soften in the heat of his mouth. He spreads it over his tongue and feels the stinging heat of wasabi. It warms his cheeks and makes his mouth tingle. It’s the best thing he’s ever tasted. When he swallows, he feels his whole body temperature rise from his toes to the tips of his ears. But it’s nothing compared to the fire that’s ignited in his heart.


End file.
